The individual who opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, targeting former President Donald Trump has been identified by the FBI. According to a statement reported by CBS News, the shooter was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks was fatally shot by a Secret Service sniper during the incident.
During the brief chaos on Saturday night, one rally attendee was killed by the gunfire, and two others were critically injured. Trump himself sustained a minor injury, with a bullet grazing the upper part of his right ear – an injury he later described on social media. The former president was quickly attended to at a hospital before being escorted under Secret Service protection to New Jersey.
The FBI's investigation into Crooks' background is ongoing. As reported by WPXI, Crooks did not have a prior criminal history. Law enforcement officials said early Sunday that he was not known to be associated with foreign terrorism, and was not previously on the radar of law enforcement authorities, although his connections continue to be investigated.
Further adding to the complexity of the case, despite being a registered Republican, Crooks appeared to have made a small donation to the Progressive Turnout Project through ActBlue, a Democratic donation platform. However, his specific motives remain unestablished with Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge stating, "We do not currently have an identified motive," as detailed by CBS News. The FBI urges anyone with information pertinent to the case to come forward.
